lauren stern looks at a killer premiere…
Dexter (Michael C. Hall) may not be fully outed just yet but he definitely can no longer keep the dark passenger secret from Deb (Jennifer Carpenter). After season 6 ended with the cliffhanger of the century (Deb witnessing Dexter murder Travis Marshall – Colin Hanks), fans have been dying to know how they were both were going to handle her knowledge of Dexter’s serial killer persona. For the season 7 premiere, viewers not only got their questions answered about the dreaded season 6 cliffhanger but got a glimpse as to the exciting new story lines that will be focused on in the series’ final season.
Let’s face it: Dexter does a terrible job of sticking to the code. Since the beginning, there was a point every season where there was a possibility of him getting caught, so someone was bound to find out eventually. I can’t decide whether or not I’m glad it was Deb. Out of all the characters, she would be the most understanding, but her reactions to just about everything make her the most annoying. I get it that she had finally realized her brother was a serial killer, but the the freak outs are just too overdramatic.
The main thing I didn’t like about the episode was that Dexter still tried to continue keeping his secret after Deb found out. He should have just told her and figured out a plan for her to keep her mouth shut. Seriously, did he really think Deb wasn’t going to investigate it further? Not only that but his “excuse” for killing Travis Marshall was so unbelievable. Anyone would have more questions more after hearing that crap. If Dexter really wanted to keep his secret, he should have told her he was protecting Harrison, which is a lot closer to the truth than any of the multiple excuses he used. Dexter is obviously a smart guy but he’s not really good at thinking things through.
There are two things I’m really excited about this season. The first is seeing the role Louis (Josh Cooke) is going to have in Dexter’s big serial killer reveal and what other information we’re going to find out about him. Since the stealing of the ice truck killer hand, viewers have been in the dark about him and have anxiously been wondering why the hell he’s so invested in Dexter. The second is I’m excited for Deb to (hopefully) find out about Harry’s (James Remar) involvement and the code. Deb has thought so fondly of her father for such a long period of time, and finding out his role might make her more sympathetic to Dexter’s situation.
Many Dexter fans will attest that the show has increasingly declined after Rita’s death in the fourth season because nothing could ever compare to John Lithgow’s Trinity Killer performance. While he did a great job and Rita’s death was certainly shocking, I just don’t agree or see any of these notions. Season 5 and season 6 may not have been totally impeccable, but both Lumen (Julia Stiles) and Travis Marshall were totally relevant to the show’s ending events. Without either, not only would it have been hard for Dexter to fully develop as a character but he would not be able to prepare for the big shitstorm that’s about to happen in season 7. Overall, I’m excited to see how things will play out but sad that it will be all be officially over soon.
I’m pretty stoked to see what happens with Louis through this season. Kinda feel like he might not be around throughout the entire thing.